Sindarov Defeats Wei Yi, Leads FIDE Candidates by 1.5 Points

Javokhir Sindarov of Uzbekistan strengthened his commanding lead in the FIDE Candidates chess tournament by defeating Wei Yi of China in the sixth round on Saturday in Pegeia, Cyprus. The 20-year-old grandmaster, playing with the black pieces, secured his fifth victory in six games, reaching 5.5 points and opening a 1.5-point gap over the field.

The game unfolded over 36 moves, with Sindarov equalizing early against Wei's Bishop's Opening. He sacrificed a pawn to create complications, gaining control of the center and key diagonals. Wei's position deteriorated after exchanges that exposed his king and left his pieces uncoordinated, leading to a blunder that sealed the win. Sindarov's performance has marked him as the sole leader, with Fabiano Caruana of the United States in second place on four points following a draw against Andrey Esipenko of Russia. Other results from the round included a draw between Hikaru Nakamura of the United States and India's R. Praggnanandhaa, as well as a draw between Anish Giri of the Netherlands and Germany's Matthias Bluebaum. Praggnanandhaa remains on three points, tied for third with Giri.

Sindarov's run has been historic, surpassing previous...